Mahalia Jackson - Queen of Gospel BIOGRAPHY








The Queen of Gospel Song
"Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;  
Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;      
Change and decay in all around I see;            
O Thou who changest not, abide with me."
Jackson found wild mainstream success in the late '50s, touring the world and recording several successful albums for Columbia. Though she could not convince a television network to grant her a show of her own, Jackson did appear as a guest on many "white" variety shows including those hosted by Dinah Shore, Steve Allen, and Ed Sullivan. She also performed at dozens of monumental events, including her first European tour and an appearance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, which yielded the classic album Live at Newport 1958. In the same year, Jackson collaborated with popular orchestral arranger Percy Faith to record the hit album The Power and the Glory, and contributed vocals to Duke Ellington's suite, Black, Brown, and Beige. By 1960, Jackson was an international star. Her congregational call-and-response style, combined with her soulful, voluminous voice, made gospel music popular all over the world. But back home, Jackson's financial success brought racist backlash. She received violent threats from neighbors who did not want an African American woman to live on the quiet street in the Chicago suburbs where she had purchased a home.

Mahalia Jackson
Performing at Newport




"Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho"



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